The case is soon stated. Mr. Terence O'Flanagan, with five
hundred a-year, profit rents, out of the town and neigbourhood of
Mannhamilton, has, to the palpable evidence of the whole and next
baronies, been making up, as the phrase goes, to Letty Murphy, for
the last six months. This has been no case of Bardell _v._ Pickwick,
but a real downright matter of love-making on the one side, and love
made on the other. Letters, too have been written, and are now to be
read in court, to the great edification of the unmarried jury, and
amusement of the whole assemblage; and the deceitful culprit has gone
so far as to inform the father, Murphy, that he has a thousand pounds
saved to settle, if he, the father, has another to add to it. All
these things Mr. O'Malley puts forward on behalf of the injured
Letty, in his opening speech, and then proceeds to bring evidence to
prove them.
In the first place the father gives his evidence, and is
cross-examined with great effect by Mr. O'Laugher; then the letters
are read, and are agreed by all to be very affectionate, proper,
agreeable love-letters; there is no cross-questioning them, for
though answered, they will not answer; and our friend, who escaped
but just now melancholy from the porter drinkers in his bed-room, is
brought forward to prove the love-makings of the delinquent.
All Mr. O'Malley's questions he answers with great readiness and
fluency, for it was for the purpose of answering them that he
came forward. He states without hesitation that love-making to a
considerable extent has been going on; that to his knowledge, and
in his presence, most particular attentions have been paid by Mr.
Terence to Miss Letty; that they have sat together, talked together,
walked together, and whispered together to such an extent, that in
his, the witness's, mind, they had for some time past been considered
to be a regularly engaged couple; and that, moreover, he had himself
seen Mr. Terence O'Flanagan squeezing the hand of Miss Letty. Having
declared so much on behalf of the lady, he also was handed over
to Mr. O'Laugher to be made to say what he could on behalf of the
gentleman.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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